I wish it were easier to post from China because there are so many interesting photos and stories. The adrenaline has definitely worn off and I find myself getting into a routine of waking at 5:30 (even though I can sleep until 6:30), preparing for the day, heading to breakfast and knowing what each item in the buffet is, eating with chopsticks, drinking broth rather than tea or water, then heading to the hotel desk to renew my key daily and making the 20 minute walk to school, dodging cars and motorbikes along the way. I don't jump as I'm honked at anymore, just keep moving and being aware of where I am in relation to others. We have a routine for our class now and we start with circle time, the calendar and songs.

We are covering a lot of vocabulary in the class. Students have a lot of writing and vocabulary skills but we are spending a lot of time talking and singing. I am seeing progress even after a short time. The school where we teach is huge- usually 6000 students with 70 to a classroom. The floors are crumbly concrete and the furniture is primitive with narrow tables for two and small, narrow benches (a 2" x 4" x 12" seat). The is a blackboard in the front and back of the classroom and our only supplies are the few I've requested and what we brought. I immediated rearranged the classroom making two large tables from 6 tables each and opening up area for a group space and small group areas. It makes it sound spacious but with our 25 kids in the afternoon, it's not. They range in age from 4-13 in my group. We always have parents in the roon and often other unidentified adults. I've been photographed and videotaped and observed to the point I don't even notice it anymore.

Things have changed from our original plans. The camp attendance isn't what they hoped for so the second session is canceled. We are instead spending time touring China which I am very excited about. We will be staying in the same areas we originally planned but seeing more things.

Many of us are feeling the effects from eating and drinking here, without going into many details. The heat can also be oppressive so that may be part of the problem as well. It's hard to drink enough when I have to be so careful about where I get water. I am starting to only have a hard boiled egg at the buffet, then head to my room for a banana and some International Coffee mix I brought from home. I eat a decent lunch and then I'm rarely hungry for dinner so we often pick up something at the grocery store to munch on. I haven't been sick but I have felt a bit off at times.

I appreciate your messages. It makes home feel just a little bit closer.

China so far..

I have to be honest and say that the last week has been a challenge, full of frustrations and challenges in a culture that is unfamiliar to me. I have been blessed with a family and colleagues and friends who have been a sounding board for me so I will instead post about what I love about China.

The food is amazing. It is fresh, flavorful and mostly very healthy. We have mostly vegetables for breakfast. We only drink bottled or boiled water so morning beverage is mostly hot rice water with a bit of sugar. It's good. We went out for food from street vendors a couple of nights ago. I shared a noodle dish so big we couldn't finish it together and some fry bread with spicy topping and a Coke- all for $2 for both of us.
I'm learning so much about teaching. I have about 20 students in my class who have some basic vocabulary but not a lot of functional language. They try so hard and are doing amazingly well. There's nothing like a rousing rendition of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spider" or We Wish You a Merry Christmas (their idea, not mine). We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar yesterday and they are working on retelling the story with pictures. That's a challenge!
I feel like a celebrity most of the time. We have children following us just to get a wave or hello. People on the street stop and stare. We are the only Westerners we've seen in the city of 4 million (though I haven't met all 4 million). Sometimes I feel like a freak but mostly not. Usually a smile and a greeting brings one in return.
I can cross the street without dying! The traffic here is the craziest I've seen. There are some traffic lights but they seem to be mere suggestions. Cars, bikes, motorcycles, bicycle rickshaws, buses, trucks and pedestrians all share the same road. Lane markers are mostly ignored and driving into oncoming traffic seems common. Usually it is too busy to get much speed going but I can now fairly confidently walk out in traffic and not get hit.
The sense of community is strong here. There is a large public square near the hotel and in the morning it is filled with people doing tai chi or drumming, in the evenings there are thousands out for the street market where you can buy anything from "intimate apparel" to food to cell phones. In the evening there are children's dance groups (mostly jazz dance), ballroom dancing and hundreds of people line dancing. That's a sight to see! With nearly everyone living in condos, this is there backyard.
I have school supplies! Teaching without paper, crayons or pencils is a challenge but now we can write and draw.
Experiencing a new culture brings out the best and worst in me. It's unsettling and exciting at the same time. I am fully aware of the freedoms I enjoy in the US that I often take for granted. Caring for our environment becomes a harsh reality when I am living in a place where the air burns my throat and the sun rarely shines and children haven't seen the stars.

Although I can't see Blogger or Facebook, I do see your comments (but can't approve them to post the comments) so thank you. It makes home seem a little bit closer.

How are things in China?

I am just able to start posting after a great deal of challenges here in China. Facebook, blogger and YouTube are all blocked and wireless is very difficult to find here. I finally found one that isn't protected by sitting outside the school so I can email my posts.

Honestly, things have been challenging here for a number of reasons but since I've already whined to my family, I will share what I love about China.

1. The food is amazing. It is fresh, wonderfully flavorful and a bit adventurous. I feel I indulged.

2. The children I am teaching are adorable, bright and happy. They try so hard and catch on quickly. All the work I put into the lessons and materials have paid off.

3. I can confidently cross the road and walk down the street. This is bigger than you could imagine as there are no discernible traffic laws in China. There are traffic lights but they seem to be suggestions. The road is filled with people in all directions on bicycles, motorbikes, cars, rickshaws and on foot. You just keep walking and everyone honks.

4. I have a sit-down toilet in my hotel room. We aren't staying with families. I also figured out how to flush the "gutter" type toilet in the school by pulling on a cord that is hooked to a water tank near the ceiling which sends water down the gutter until all is washed away. Yes, I have a photo.

Patience!

Have I mentioned that I don't have wireless access in the hotel and no where nearby? Both Blogger and Facebook are blocked in China. I just learned of a way to update via email so I hope this works.

Sent from my iPad

The 37 hour day

I was awake at 5:30 this morning and was at the airport by 9:30. I hadn't thought about the fact that I would see 31 hours of daylight today as I cross 13 time zones.  I'm writing this on the plane where I've been sleeping on and off all day and it's currently 12:30 am Minnesota time and who knows what time on our way to Japan. I think we still have 10 hours of travel time until we arrive in China with two and a half hours left of this flight. 

Do you have any more times I could calculate as I sit here?

My view all day

Sent from my iPad

The Great Wall

I wish I had the words to describe the Great Wall and lots of interesting facts to share but I don't have Internet access to get the facts but I know it's about 3000 miles long. We got to our entrance later than we planned so we only had about an hour and a half at the wall. It gave us enough time walk on the wall and to get a sense of awe from the beauty of the area and the remarkableness of the structure. As you can see, we were not alone on the wall.




As you can see, it's quite a workout, especially in the heat. I think it would be even harder if those stones were wet. 
I have a lot more photos but I can't post them yet due to the Internet limitations.

Sent from my iPad

Sent from my iPad

Hoping this updates!

Blogger and Facebook are both blocked in China so I'm hoping that this test update will work so I can send off the other emails I have ready to go.

 

I hope you hear from me soon!